Members of the Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (PAN), Ondo State chapter have commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on its various intervention programmes in support of its members across the nation.
The Chairman of the Association in the state, Mr Gideon Oluleye stated this while speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of association’s stakeholders meeting on Wednesday in Akure.
Oluleye said the timely intervention of the apex bank in the poultry subsector, particularly in the Southwest had helped to ameliorate the suffering of its members during the covid-19 lockdown.
He said the intervention ,which came in terms of loans, direct allocation of grains (maize) and soya beans to farmers even to the ones at the grassroots level.
Oluleye noted that the interventions must also be concentrated in the Southwest, being the hub of poultry activities.
He said the initiative had helped the grassroots farmers which had also helped in keeping those employed out of the labour market.
“All of you know we lost a lot of stocks during the covid-19 lockdown, we were burying eggs,,fowls last year because no market. CBN came, gave loans to us that impacted our farms and our lives.
“We want to let CBN know that most of the farmers are still looking out for their application to be granted, personally I have increased my stock to 10000 because I am part of those that has benefitted and we are urging them to grant other members,loans, to ameliorate their plight.
“Southwest is the hub of poultry activities no doubt about that;talk about hatchery,meat processing, egg production meat, seventy per cent of of poultry activities in the country happens in this region, so in intervening, more of this intervention should come to the Southwest,” he said.
Also speaking, the General Secretary of PAN in Nigeria, Joseph Aladesuyi also appreciated the Federal Government for the various intervention loans to the farmers in the country through the CBN.
Aladesuyi said the Southwest region still needed more maize and soya beans allocation to meet the needed demand of its members.
Aladesuyi urged the CBN to intervene and deal with poultry farmers regionally.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at the meeting, members of the association asked for unhindered access to loans and direct allocation of inputs to stabilise the prizes of products in the market.
They resolved that all poultry stakeholders in the country must rise up to save the sector from collapse.(NAN)
